Paterson: Jones is No 1 for now

Published:18:27Tuesday 22 March 2011

Share this article

HALIFAX centre Lee Paterson has admitted he does not envisage regaining his status as the club’s number one goal kicker any time soon ahead of Thursday night’s Co-operative Championship Grand Final rematch with Featherstone.

Paterson, who scored 338 points in 2010 - more than any other player outside Super League and second only to Wigan’s star winger Pat Richards on the overall standings - had been out of Matt Calland’s side for more than a month after injuring his ankle in the Northern Rail Cup slaughter of Oldham.

In his absence, newly-signed half back Danny Jones has swiped the kicking tee, landing 10 from 10 in Paterson’s comeback game - the 60-6 NRC win at Whitehaven last Wednesday - a performance his rival marksman could only admire.

“Fair play to Danny, I will keep practicing in case anything happens, but if he’s got that kind of form there is no need for me to worry about it is there?” said Paterson, who returned in his favoured centre spot after Calland’s backline reshuffle following the 26-12 league loss in Toulouse.

“If he is kicking like that, I am not too bothered either because it’s going to be good for the team.

“I was just made up to be back in the side, to be honest. It’s the longest I have been injured for a while, and I’m not a fan of kicking my heels on the sidelines, but hopefully that will be it now.

“I am just looking forward to Fev.”

Even allowing for their Championship One opponents, Fax looked a side transformed at the Recre, a change Paterson put down to a behind-closed-doors meeting following the squad’s return from France.

“We need to be up for it every game and we need to understand that a bit more,” said Paterson.

“We talked about it and talked about being a bit more intense, whether we are playing Featherstone, Whitehaven, Toulouse, whoever.

“Each game is as important as each other and we need to start each game focused and ready to play.